Poverty

Question 1

Hallway in victory mansion description (smell)

Answer 1

“Hallway smelt of boiled cabbage” Orwell portrayed 1984 as a critique of Stalinist Russia as cabbage is a stereotypical food for poor Russian peasants, this has cultural connotations for poverty, a lack of choice and the limitations of communist rule.

Question 2

The conditions of houses

Answer 2

“Rotting nineteenth century houses” - The conditions of the houses show that Big Brother’s lack of support for citizens in terms of infrastructure, Orwell wanted to empathise and warn how totalitarian governments despite not showing care about the wellbeing of its citizens, many will still follow